Pasadena anxious to test its new defensive scheme in scrimmage with Baytown Lee

By Robert Avery, Staff writer

Published
8:35 pm CDT, Wednesday, August 14, 2019

The green of Pasadena High School will arrive at Veterans Memorial Stadium for their first scrimmage when the team works out with Baytown Lee Friday.

The green of Pasadena High School will arrive at Veterans Memorial Stadium for their first scrimmage when the team works out with Baytown Lee Friday.

Photo: Robert Avery

Photo: Robert Avery

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The green of Pasadena High School will arrive at Veterans Memorial Stadium for their first scrimmage when the team works out with Baytown Lee Friday.

The green of Pasadena High School will arrive at Veterans Memorial Stadium for their first scrimmage when the team works out with Baytown Lee Friday.

Photo: Robert Avery

Pasadena anxious to test its new defensive scheme in scrimmage with Baytown Lee

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With excitement mixed with some nervousness, Pasadena High School’s varsity football team begins Phase II to their fall workouts when the club scrimmages Baytown Lee at the city’s Veterans Memorial Stadium Friday night.

The varsity will take the field about 6:30.

Because the Eagles didn’t hold spring drills, what mistakes shadow Pasadena in this week’s scrimmage can potentially be ironed out during another scrimmage next week with Kempner.

“I think what we’re really trying to see is, because we’re starting a new defense, we want to see that everyone is aligned correctly, making sure we’re flying around to the football. The biggest thing I want to see from the kids is the excitement of playing,” new head coach David Zapien said.

That new defense Pasadena will be unveiling is a 4-2-5, meaning there will be four linemen (four-man front), two inside linebackers and five cover defenders. In that basic look, it includes two outside linebackers, a free safety and two cornerbacks.

The football folks say it’s a defense that became popular in the 1980s.

Now Zapien and his brand-new coaching staff hope it’s a defense that can help the Eagles surrender far fewer than 412 yards a game, which is what Pasadena’s defense was surrendering last season. Maybe, just maybe, the 4-2-5 can even deliver a few more shutouts for Eagles fans to rejoice over.

Over the last 16 seasons, Pasadena has blanked just one district opponent.

Baytown Lee is in a similar situation as Pasadena. The Ganders have been kind of forgotten, but they appear poised for a breakout season that could make people stand up and take notice.

“Baytown Lee’s going to be a good little test for us. They’re going to have some athletes and they’re going to have some speed. Facing that kind of speed will be very beneficial going into our first game with Galena Park,” Zapien said.

Zapien said the format of the scrimmage will be 10 plays by the No. 1 units for both Pasadena and Lee, followed by 10 plays for the No. 2s. That scenario will be repeated once more, before the scrimmage concludes with one football game-like quarter.

“I think our coaches have done a great job in getting our kids ready. Like I was telling the kids the other day, all the stuff they’ve invested in the off-season, it’s now time for it to pay off. Hopefully, this first scrimmage will show we’re a new Pasadena school and it’ll get us on the right path to being a good football team,” Zapien said.